What Is A Query Template?

At its heart, each query letter is simply a template: a prewritten document that’s mostly the same between submissions but that can easily be customized for each agent. 

After all, the query’s hook doesn’t change between submissions. Neither does the title, word count, and genre. Nor your comps or bio. It’s all the same. 

The only customization you might make is to the greeting and maybe a personalization or two to inform the agent why you queried them specifically.

Querier takes the unchanging parts or your letter, allows you to customize for each agent specifically, and then generates the final letter. 

The Query Template consists of:

• Email Subject:
  • The email subject is the default subject line of your email submissions. This is the email subject Querier will use when 1) an agent requires an email submission and 2) they don't require a customized email subject. 
  • The email subject can later be customized when creating a query for an agent requiring a specific email subject format.
• Query Letter Template:
  • The query letter is the heart of your submission package and is sent to literary agents to determine their interest in representing your book for publication. 
  • Most of your queries will be the same for each agent and will contain a brief description of the work, genre, word count, and more. These common elements are the query letter template. 
  • To customize a query for a particular agents, use "Personalizations."
• Personalizations:
  • Personalizations are placeholders for future text, allowing you to customize each query for a particular agent. Create as many Personalizations as you need, though only a few should be needed.
  • The template can later be personalized for specific agents when creating the query!
• Synopsis:
  • The synopsis succinctly summarizes your work, telling the agent what exactly happens over the course of the story. Input your synopsis as part of your Query Template and Querier will automatically add it to any query package requiring it!
• Writing Samples:
  • Agents often require writing samples to determine how good you are at your chosen craft of writing. 
  • They may require a certain number of pages, a certain number of chapters, or a certain number of words. 
  • The Querier database tracks this information for you, if the information is available. 
  • Always double-check the agent's Submission Guidelines to be sure their requirements haven't changed!
  • One agent wants the first 10 pages while another wants the first 8,000 words? No problem. Let Querier handle generate the writing samples for you!
• Additional Information
  • Additional information consists of info Querier needs to complete the attachment creation process or submit to submission forms. 
  • Agents may create a form asking a number of different questions about your work, which usually requires a query letter, synopsis, writing sample, and contact info. That can be a lot of information to copy/paste. 
  • Don't worry! Querier will generate the query package for you and help you to copy/paste the information directly into forms, making the process much easier!